Allergy vs. Intolerance

The most common and best understood type of allergy is a reaction in which the body’s immune system overreacts to a food and mistakenly produces antibodies (called IgE) to the food.

This can cause reactions, sometimes severe, that affect the skin, breathing, gut and heart.

Intolerance is an adverse reaction to a food that does not involve the immune system. Symptoms are generally less severe, and can include headaches, gut problems and worsening of skin conditions such as eczema. Intolerance is much less likely to be life-threatening than a true allergy.

What is an allergy?

According to the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and allergy (ASCIA) education resources website, the word “allergy” is frequently overused and misused to include any irritating or uncomfortable symptoms after eating.

Strictly speaking the term should only be used for the symptoms which develop after eating certain foods as part of the immune response.

In an allergic reaction, the body’s immune system mistakenly believes the food is harmful and tries to protect itself. In doing so it overreacts and produces, for example, harmful antibodies to fight the food “allergens”.

In turn, these special antibodies (called IgE) make the body produce histamines and other chemicals, causing reactions that affect the skin, breathing, gut and heart.

IgE antibodies can also “cross react “with other allergens. For example, someone with a latex allergy may also react after eating a banana, kiwi fruit or avocado. Up to 50 per cent of people who react to one tree nut (including almonds, brazil nuts, Cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts) will react to other tree nuts.

A recently recognized form of food allergy is the “oral allergy syndrome”, where a person experiences a cross reaction between pollens and fresh fruit and vegetables.

This “cross-reactivity” is also the reason why some adults with a predisposition to other allergies suddenly develop a food allergy.

For example, a person with a birch pollen allergy can suddenly became allergic to apple or kiwi fruit allergens.

More adults prone to allergies are developing cross reactions after they are overexposed to certain foods (such as acquiring wheat allergies after working in a bakery).

Adults are more likely to be allergic to fish, shellfish and nuts, with children suffering more from allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts. Reactions to seeds and fruits are also becoming more common.

There are also cultural differences in allergy patterns, In Japan, rice allergy is common. In the Middle East and Australia, sesame allergy is on the rise.

We know the treatment for ceeliac disease is a gluten-free diet for life. Although people with celiac disease produce antibodies the allergic process is different from that seen in most other allergic reactions.

In celiac disease, gluten reacts with the small intestine, and activates the immune system to attack the delicate lining of the bowel.

The normally rippled lining of the intestine becomes damaged and inflamed, and forms the characteristic flat appearance of celiac disease.

The surface area, which enables the absorption of nutrients and minerals from food, is seriously depleted, leading to gastrointestinal and malabsorptive symptoms.

Common Intolerances

Almost any food can cause an intolerance, but the repeat offenders are;

OFFENDER:
salicylates
FOUND IN:
Natural food chemicals found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables such as cauliflower, eggplant, broccoli, tomato, apple, orange, and pineapple. Also found in nuts, spices and aspirin.

OFFENDER:
Amines
FOUND IN:
Histamines and histamine-like chemicals produced during fermentation, and the ageing and ripening of foods. Found in wine, processed meats, hard cheese, tomato paste, chocolate, and many fruits and vegetables.

OFFENDER:
Glutamate
FOUND IN:
An amino acid found naturally in all protein foods such as cheese, processed meats and milk. MSG (additive621) is a type of glutamate, and natural glutamates are also found in Soy Sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, grapes, plums and many others foods

I certainly hope this helps you understand a little bit more about allergies and food intolerances in order to help you or one of your family members a more pleasant and healthier life.